Page 4 of The Queen's Crown
Opening the door to her horse’s stall, she heard someone walking toward her. She peered over her shoulder and found her brother, Rolf.
“What are you doing?” he demanded.
“Nothing,” she replied, closing the door to the stall. “What are you doing?” Since his wife was pregnant, she expected him to be tending to her needs, not out here in the stables.
“I’m checking the carriage for the journey.” He folded his arms across his wide chest. Like her father and other brothers, Rolf had dark hair and eyes. However, unlike them, he was far shorter at just five and a half feet. He also was on the stocky side, claiming it was all muscle. Sabine knew otherwise—he loved his ale a little too much and it showed around his stomach. “Where do you plan on going?” He tilted his chin toward her horse.
She folded her arms, mirroring him. They were the same height. “You’re the commander of the army; don’t you have someone else who can check the carriage?”
“I do. But Alina is my sister, and this is a dangerous journey. I trust something of this importance to no one else.”
“If it’s so dangerous, why let her go?”
“We need this alliance.” He rubbed his face.
Now that Sabine was paying closer attention, she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. “What’s going on?”
“Raiding parties from Carlon have been breaching our border. They’ve been stealing food from our people. Last week, a couple dozen children were taken.”
“What for?”
He shrugged. “No idea. But my army is spread too thin trying to protect our border. Father fears Carlon may try and overtake us.”
Frustration built. Their father had always favored farming and agriculture over fighting. The result was that their army had too few men since the king didn’t see the need to maintain a large standing army. “Can’t we just recruit more people?”
His eyes narrowed. “Why do you think Alina is marrying King Rainer?”
It felt as if she’d stumbled into a fire. “She’s marrying that man for his army?” She balled her hands into fists. Alina was choosing to marry a man she’d never met and didn’t love just so their father could have access to the man’s military might?
“It’s more complicated than that, but yes, that’s the gist of it.”
Sabine stormed from the stables, heading back to the castle. She would talk some sense into her sister. There was no reason for Alina to give up on love because of their father’s poor choices.
She found Alina standing in the middle of her bedchamber wearing a wedding gown, staring at herself in the mirror, her eyes filled with tears.
Sabine rushed to her sister, wrapping her in a hug. “You don’t have to go through with it.” Maybe if she held on and didn’t let go, her sister wouldn’t leave.
“I don’t have to, but I want to.” Alina hugged her back. “I thought I’d wear this to marry Albert.”
“You still can marry him.”
“Our kingdom needs me,” Alina said.
“They do. You must stay here in Bakley. You can’t go to Lynk.” On the other side of the continent.
“Oh, honey,” Alina said, squeezing Sabine and then releasing her. “We need this alliance. Please understand that I’m doing this for everyone, including me.”
Tears involuntarily filled her eyes. “But why?” Her heart was breaking—for her sister, for herself, for love.
“Will you promise me something?”
“Anything.”
“I want you to visit me when you can.”
“Of course.” Sabine couldn’t imagine going a day without seeing her sister. Maybe she could go with her.
“And can you please give something to Albert for me?” She went over to her writing desk and withdrew a sealed letter, holding it out to Sabine.
